Review by CoMod martinmm of the Carrera DIGITAL 124 Bill Thomas Cheetah Vintage GT Challenge (23744)
Chevrolet CEO Ed Cole enlisted renowned Corvette tuner Bill Thomas to develop and build a GT car that would rival the then-mighty Cobra. Together with Don Edmunds and Don Barth, Thomas soon created the first drafts of this vehicle. Equipped with a 550-hp Chevrolet small-block engine, the Cheetah weighed 500 kg less than the Cobra. In sprint races, the Cobra no longer stood a chance. Ralph Sayer reached top speeds of up to 346 km/h – with the small-block engine!
In circuit racing, however, things were quite different: due to the soft frame and the very low weight compared to the power, material problems quickly arose. In addition, the interior overheated so much due to the side exhaust pipes and the engine positioned so close to the driver that many drivers suffered fainting spells. This earned the Cheetah the nickname "the mobile grill." Due to a change in homologation by the FIA in 1964, which now stipulated the production of 1,000 vehicles in the GT class, Chevrolet cut off Thomas's funding, and he was thus no longer able to further develop the Cheetah. The Cheetah was now entered in other classes, where, despite its high performance, it stood no chance against the Chaparrals and Lolas. A fire in the factory in 1965 dashed Thomas's dreams of achieving the originally targeted number of 100 vehicles. Therefore, only three vehicles with aluminum bodies and approximately 13-20 with fiberglass bodies are known. Nevertheless, the Cheetah enjoyed great popularity!
The American slot car manufacturers COX and Strombecker produced this car in both 1:32 and 1:24 scale and had it in their product range for many years. Carrera was also planning to bring this car to market. A 1968 advertisement depicts it with a vacuum-formed body. The body is apparently based on the COX Cheetah. One reason why Carrera never brought this car to market could be that by the time the Carrera 124 was launched, the slot car boom in the USA was already in decline, and Carrera may have been targeting the American market with this car.
It is all the more pleasing to hold this vehicle in our hands now, over 40 years later, in outstanding optical quality from Carrera.
Technology:
The vehicle is equipped with the latest D124 chassis generation. The center and rear magnets are mounted on the chassis and can only be accessed by removing the body. The body is attached to the chassis with six screws, two of which are located under a flap at the rear. Both axles and the wheels all rotate very smoothly. This is probably also due to the new rim design. The rim now consists of a one-piece rim body and a rim insert. The body consists of three parts: the rear, the rear underbody, and the long front. The front/hood extends to the center of the vehicle. This design allows for various variants of the hood. The rear and front are firmly welded together from the inside.
Optics:
A dream come true for enthusiasts of this car! Perhaps this outstanding realization will also bring the car closer to slot racers who were previously unfamiliar with it or were afraid of the effort of buying it as an expensive, limited-production kit and building it themselves. The dividing lines of the doors, visually enhanced with a darker shade of red, are beautifully presented. The lack of a spare wheel in the rear of the interior is striking; this was a requirement of the current owner, Mr. Boyce.
Driving operation:
In their original condition, with their full magnet load, they run like they're on rails. There's hardly any room between cornering at the limit and flying off the ground. Despite the huge diameter of the rear wheels, the vehicle is very powerful.
Without magnets: the lack of tire grip becomes noticeable. The car drifts heavily in corners. Acceleration is also poor. This can be remedied by surface grinding the rear wheels. All you need is a sanding pad and patience. Once again, operation with the two outer center magnets proved to be very effective. This gives the car good grip without appearing magnetized. It can be drifted in corners in a controlled manner, with a very wide acceleration limit. The large rudder angle makes it almost impossible to get it off track. On the large club track, the little Cheetah also reaches an enormous top speed. This setup is a perfect match for the Corvette GS.
The logical addition to the Cheetah in the Carrera program for 2012 would be the Cobra.
CoMod Martinmm
****************************************
Review by CoMod Carrera124 for the Carrera DIGITAL 124 Bill Thomas Cheetah Vintage GT Challenge (23744)
Technical data:
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 210 grams
Weight (body): 50 grams
Length including spoiler: 157 mm
Wheelbase: 95 mm
Track width (front axle): 70 mm
Track width (rear axle): 82 mm
Overview of the design and country variants:
The red version is currently in delivery and also in the basic package Carrera DIGITAL 124 Titans of Racing included. The silver version will be released later and will only be available as a standalone vehicle.
Story:
In the 1960s, things were wild on the racetracks of the world: Cobras, Jaguars, and even Bill Thomas' Cheetah swept across the racetracks. And although its racing success was limited, there were many slot car manufacturers at the time that included this car in their range, both in 1:24 and 1:32 scale. Sometimes a spectacular appearance was enough to make a lasting impression. At the end of the 1960s, Carrera also considered producing a 1:24 scale Cheetah. There was even a corresponding deep-drawn body mold (source: "Carrera 160 - 132 Universal - 124 - Jet", mekCar-Verlag, page 44). Ultimately, however, the model did not go into series production, presumably due to the numerous models from competitors.
Barely 40 years later, this gap has now been closed: the Carrera Cheetah in 1:24 scale has become a reality.
Optics:
The body appears to be an aggressive powerhouse. It feels almost as wide as it is long. The overhangs at the front and rear are very narrow, so overall, the body isn't stretched over the mechanicals more than necessary. But as small as the body is, its shape is just as complex: Due to various undercuts, the body is assembled from several components that are bolted together with struts. While this increases the weight, it results in a body that is just as stable as you'd expect from a Carrera. The attention to detail is also excellent: the chrome-plated air cleaner cover is a real eye-catcher, and the rims also look impressive.
However, separating the body from the chassis requires a trick: the four body screws on the underside of the chassis are quickly located and unscrewed. At the rear, behind the rectangular cover, however, there are two more screws that also need to be removed. Only once this hurdle has been overcome does the chassis reveal itself.
Chassis:
Just like with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, we come to the interesting part here: the new 2010 chassis generation. In principle, the revisions are similar to those of the smaller 1:32 scale model during the transition from the 2007 to the 2009 chassis generation. Retaining the tried and tested, removing the superfluous. The result is a relatively straightforward chassis. Compared to the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, there are a few further improvements. In detail:
- The swing arm is already familiar from this year's design variants. It features a significantly larger angle of rotation, which is particularly noticeable in magnetless operation. A small compression spring gently presses it to the road surface at all times. On the Cheetah, the swing arm is slightly shorter than previously known due to the smaller installation space and wheelbase.
- The front axle is now rigidly mounted; the previously used compression spring has fortunately been eliminated. The familiar ride height adjustment mechanism is still in place. So, anyone who absolutely wants to navigate tight, banked corners can raise the car.
- The center magnets are inserted from the inside, and the corresponding bracket is conveniently bolted to the engine mount. This saves screws and weight. Unlike the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, however, the chassis here is completely closed at the bottom.
- The combined engine-gearbox block has remained unchanged, but the large metal threaded plate has been greatly reduced in size, to the absolute minimum.
- The rear magnet is also embedded in the chassis from the inside. It's held in place by a spacer from the engine. I also like this solution better than the one on the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
- The rims are still two-part, but no longer split in the middle, but consist of a base body and an insert.
Driving test (with magnet):
There's nothing spectacular to report here. The magnets' holding power is high, and drifts at the limit are practically nonexistent. Anyone who enjoys driving their vehicles with magnets shouldn't have any complaints about the handling.
Driving test (without magnets):
Removing the rear magnet is easy: remove the engine and transmission block, briefly turn the chassis over, and you're done. Removing the center magnets, however, is a bit more fiddly, but this isn't due to the new chassis concept. Rather, it's the Cheetah's short wheelbase that causes the digital circuit board to partially cover the magnets. Therefore, you should also loosen the digital circuit board slightly, then the center magnets can be easily removed (Note: for example, in the streamlined Maserati, removing the center magnets is much easier due to the longer wheelbase). Once you've completed this procedure, nothing stands in the way of your drive. And just like with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, the new chassis concept shows its best side here too. Solid roadholding, stable cornering, good acceleration. If desired, almost any drift angle can be achieved in the corners. It takes a lot of intent to throw the car out of the corner. Due to its short wheelbase, I think the Cheetah is more suitable for smaller courses, where you can take full advantage of its maneuverability.
Conclusion:
I'll be honest: slot cars based on the '60s usually leave me cold. The Cheetah is no different, but the new chassis concept gives the car surprisingly good performance.
CoMod Carrera124
Chevrolet CEO Ed Cole enlisted renowned Corvette tuner Bill Thomas to develop and build a GT car that would rival the then-mighty Cobra. Together with Don Edmunds and Don Barth, Thomas soon created the first drafts of this vehicle. Equipped with a 550-hp Chevrolet small-block engine, the Cheetah weighed 500 kg less than the Cobra. In sprint races, the Cobra no longer stood a chance. Ralph Sayer reached top speeds of up to 346 km/h – with the small-block engine!
In circuit racing, however, things were quite different: due to the soft frame and the very low weight compared to the power, material problems quickly arose. In addition, the interior overheated so much due to the side exhaust pipes and the engine positioned so close to the driver that many drivers suffered fainting spells. This earned the Cheetah the nickname "the mobile grill." Due to a change in homologation by the FIA in 1964, which now stipulated the production of 1,000 vehicles in the GT class, Chevrolet cut off Thomas's funding, and he was thus no longer able to further develop the Cheetah. The Cheetah was now entered in other classes, where, despite its high performance, it stood no chance against the Chaparrals and Lolas. A fire in the factory in 1965 dashed Thomas's dreams of achieving the originally targeted number of 100 vehicles. Therefore, only three vehicles with aluminum bodies and approximately 13-20 with fiberglass bodies are known. Nevertheless, the Cheetah enjoyed great popularity!
The American slot car manufacturers COX and Strombecker produced this car in both 1:32 and 1:24 scale and had it in their product range for many years. Carrera was also planning to bring this car to market. A 1968 advertisement depicts it with a vacuum-formed body. The body is apparently based on the COX Cheetah. One reason why Carrera never brought this car to market could be that by the time the Carrera 124 was launched, the slot car boom in the USA was already in decline, and Carrera may have been targeting the American market with this car.
It is all the more pleasing to hold this vehicle in our hands now, over 40 years later, in outstanding optical quality from Carrera.
Technology:
The vehicle is equipped with the latest D124 chassis generation. The center and rear magnets are mounted on the chassis and can only be accessed by removing the body. The body is attached to the chassis with six screws, two of which are located under a flap at the rear. Both axles and the wheels all rotate very smoothly. This is probably also due to the new rim design. The rim now consists of a one-piece rim body and a rim insert. The body consists of three parts: the rear, the rear underbody, and the long front. The front/hood extends to the center of the vehicle. This design allows for various variants of the hood. The rear and front are firmly welded together from the inside.
Optics:
A dream come true for enthusiasts of this car! Perhaps this outstanding realization will also bring the car closer to slot racers who were previously unfamiliar with it or were afraid of the effort of buying it as an expensive, limited-production kit and building it themselves. The dividing lines of the doors, visually enhanced with a darker shade of red, are beautifully presented. The lack of a spare wheel in the rear of the interior is striking; this was a requirement of the current owner, Mr. Boyce.
Driving operation:
In their original condition, with their full magnet load, they run like they're on rails. There's hardly any room between cornering at the limit and flying off the ground. Despite the huge diameter of the rear wheels, the vehicle is very powerful.
Without magnets: the lack of tire grip becomes noticeable. The car drifts heavily in corners. Acceleration is also poor. This can be remedied by surface grinding the rear wheels. All you need is a sanding pad and patience. Once again, operation with the two outer center magnets proved to be very effective. This gives the car good grip without appearing magnetized. It can be drifted in corners in a controlled manner, with a very wide acceleration limit. The large rudder angle makes it almost impossible to get it off track. On the large club track, the little Cheetah also reaches an enormous top speed. This setup is a perfect match for the Corvette GS.
The logical addition to the Cheetah in the Carrera program for 2012 would be the Cobra.
CoMod Martinmm
****************************************
Review by CoMod Carrera124 for the Carrera DIGITAL 124 Bill Thomas Cheetah Vintage GT Challenge (23744)
Technical data:
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 210 grams
Weight (body): 50 grams
Length including spoiler: 157 mm
Wheelbase: 95 mm
Track width (front axle): 70 mm
Track width (rear axle): 82 mm
Overview of the design and country variants:
The red version is currently in delivery and also in the basic package Carrera DIGITAL 124 Titans of Racing included. The silver version will be released later and will only be available as a standalone vehicle.
Story:
In the 1960s, things were wild on the racetracks of the world: Cobras, Jaguars, and even Bill Thomas' Cheetah swept across the racetracks. And although its racing success was limited, there were many slot car manufacturers at the time that included this car in their range, both in 1:24 and 1:32 scale. Sometimes a spectacular appearance was enough to make a lasting impression. At the end of the 1960s, Carrera also considered producing a 1:24 scale Cheetah. There was even a corresponding deep-drawn body mold (source: "Carrera 160 - 132 Universal - 124 - Jet", mekCar-Verlag, page 44). Ultimately, however, the model did not go into series production, presumably due to the numerous models from competitors.
Barely 40 years later, this gap has now been closed: the Carrera Cheetah in 1:24 scale has become a reality.
Optics:
The body appears to be an aggressive powerhouse. It feels almost as wide as it is long. The overhangs at the front and rear are very narrow, so overall, the body isn't stretched over the mechanicals more than necessary. But as small as the body is, its shape is just as complex: Due to various undercuts, the body is assembled from several components that are bolted together with struts. While this increases the weight, it results in a body that is just as stable as you'd expect from a Carrera. The attention to detail is also excellent: the chrome-plated air cleaner cover is a real eye-catcher, and the rims also look impressive.
However, separating the body from the chassis requires a trick: the four body screws on the underside of the chassis are quickly located and unscrewed. At the rear, behind the rectangular cover, however, there are two more screws that also need to be removed. Only once this hurdle has been overcome does the chassis reveal itself.
Chassis:
Just like with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, we come to the interesting part here: the new 2010 chassis generation. In principle, the revisions are similar to those of the smaller 1:32 scale model during the transition from the 2007 to the 2009 chassis generation. Retaining the tried and tested, removing the superfluous. The result is a relatively straightforward chassis. Compared to the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, there are a few further improvements. In detail:
- The swing arm is already familiar from this year's design variants. It features a significantly larger angle of rotation, which is particularly noticeable in magnetless operation. A small compression spring gently presses it to the road surface at all times. On the Cheetah, the swing arm is slightly shorter than previously known due to the smaller installation space and wheelbase.
- The front axle is now rigidly mounted; the previously used compression spring has fortunately been eliminated. The familiar ride height adjustment mechanism is still in place. So, anyone who absolutely wants to navigate tight, banked corners can raise the car.
- The center magnets are inserted from the inside, and the corresponding bracket is conveniently bolted to the engine mount. This saves screws and weight. Unlike the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, however, the chassis here is completely closed at the bottom.
- The combined engine-gearbox block has remained unchanged, but the large metal threaded plate has been greatly reduced in size, to the absolute minimum.
- The rear magnet is also embedded in the chassis from the inside. It's held in place by a spacer from the engine. I also like this solution better than the one on the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
- The rims are still two-part, but no longer split in the middle, but consist of a base body and an insert.
Driving test (with magnet):
There's nothing spectacular to report here. The magnets' holding power is high, and drifts at the limit are practically nonexistent. Anyone who enjoys driving their vehicles with magnets shouldn't have any complaints about the handling.
Driving test (without magnets):
Removing the rear magnet is easy: remove the engine and transmission block, briefly turn the chassis over, and you're done. Removing the center magnets, however, is a bit more fiddly, but this isn't due to the new chassis concept. Rather, it's the Cheetah's short wheelbase that causes the digital circuit board to partially cover the magnets. Therefore, you should also loosen the digital circuit board slightly, then the center magnets can be easily removed (Note: for example, in the streamlined Maserati, removing the center magnets is much easier due to the longer wheelbase). Once you've completed this procedure, nothing stands in the way of your drive. And just like with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, the new chassis concept shows its best side here too. Solid roadholding, stable cornering, good acceleration. If desired, almost any drift angle can be achieved in the corners. It takes a lot of intent to throw the car out of the corner. Due to its short wheelbase, I think the Cheetah is more suitable for smaller courses, where you can take full advantage of its maneuverability.
Conclusion:
I'll be honest: slot cars based on the '60s usually leave me cold. The Cheetah is no different, but the new chassis concept gives the car surprisingly good performance.
CoMod Carrera124
